Meaning & use
buying my time
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiomfigurative
Deliberately causing a delay to gain more time before dealing with a difficult situation.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; often followed by 'by doing something' or 'with something'.
Patterns
- buying time by doing something
- buying time with something
The manager kept buying my time by asking for more reports.
She was buying her time until the right moment to speak.
He bought time by pretending to check his notes.
Common combinations
- buying time
- They are buying time until the contract is signed.
- buying myself time
- I need to buy myself time to think.
- buying time by stalling
- He is buying time by stalling the meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stalling
- More direct; 'stalling' means intentionally delaying, while 'buying time' emphasizes gaining time for a purpose.
- delaying
- Neutral; 'delaying' simply means making something later, but 'buying time' suggests a strategic reason.
Opposites
Commonly confused: buying my time or buying time?
buying my time vs buying time
This is the base idiom; 'buying my time' is a possessive variant, but 'buying time' is more common and general.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'buying my time' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Buying my time' means delaying to gain time. Option B fits because it shows delaying by asking questions. Option An is literal (buying a watch), C is not idiomatic, and D contradicts the meaning (finishing early is not delaying).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “buying my time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.